Long Eaton vs Leicester

The tone was set in the first two innings. Long Eaton jumped out to an early lead and never let Leicester breathe. The Storm's starting pitcher kept Blue Sox hitters off balance, and the defence behind him made the plays needed to preserve the advantage. By the time Leicester scratched across their runs, the game was already out of reach.

Long Eaton's offence was the story. Multiple Storm batters drove in runs, with the heart of the order doing particular damage. The pitching staff combined to limit Leicester to a pair of runs while striking out several Blue Sox batters.

For Leicester, the bright spots were few. Their two runs required genuine fight against a Long Eaton pitching staff that had the measure of the Blue Sox order for most of the contest.

The 10-2 scoreline reflects a game that was more one-sided than the raw numbers suggest. Long Eaton's record improves to 9-12 (0.429 winning percentage), while Leicester now sit at 2-19 (0.095). The Blue Sox have lost nine of their last ten games and have been outscored heavily across the season.

The four head-to-head meetings this season between these sides have been lopsided: the Storm's three wins include scores of 12-0, 12-6, and now 10-2. Leicester's sole victory in the series came elsewhere in the campaign.

For Long Eaton (9-12), this was a satisfying end to their home regular-season slate. The Storm sit fourth in the North Division with their remaining games away from home. The final games of the regular season will determine whether they can improve on their current standing.

For Leicester (2-19), the season has been a steep learning curve in their first NBL campaign. The Blue Sox were elected to the newly-formed NBL North Division for 2026 alongside Liverpool Trojans, Manchester A's, and Sheffield Bruins. The rebuild continues.

Both sides have their remaining regular-season fixtures to play, with the NBL post-season picture still taking shape.

A comprehensive and professional performance from Long Eaton to close out their home campaign. The Storm showed why they belong mid-table in the NBL North, while Leicester head back to the drawing board with plenty of lessons from a difficult debut season at this level.